Ephedrine vs. Ephedra Diet Pills – Is There a Noticeable Difference?
Ephedrine is a drug that is commonly used by doctors in treating hypotension, and more often than not, it is linked to anesthesia. It was a subject of much debate and controversy back in 2006 when a previous ruling was overturned in court, saying that the FDA did indeed have enough evidence to outlaw the marketing of the drug. Much of the controversy stemmed over the recreational use of the drug by athletes and students, who used it as a substitute for caffeine. It was also being abused in the creation of methamphetamine, which prompted the US government to limit its sale to consumers and monitor sites where it was sold. Ephedrine comes from the same plant that
Ephedra Diet Pills does.
The people who were abusing ephedrine were usually athletes, as they would use the drug while exercising, with the drug acting as a stimulant. It is believed by many that using a stimulant while exercising gives you increased strength, additional endurance and pain resistance. Whether any of that is true or not, it should still be noted that the practice can a serious health risk. Ephedra, on the other hand, was making headlines when Steve Belcher, a Baltimore Orioles pitcher, died of a heatstroke in 2003 during spring training. This, along with thousands of complaints from people who used the drug, prompted lawmakers to ban it from being sold in the United States.
Before the ban, both ephedrine and Ephedra could be easily found in stores that specialized in health food. Both were sold under widely distributed brand names. Ephedrine is mostly used for weight loss, to boost someone’s overall energy and as an athletic performance enhancer. Ephedra, on the other hand, while both come from the exact same plant, is a stimulant that comes in an herbal form. After the federal government made its ruling and its ruling was upheld by a higher court, although not the Supreme Court, all instances of both drugs are now banned from being sold or marketed in the United States.
Ephedrine was most commonly seen in diet pills and other weight loss drugs. Selling dietary supplements containing Ephedra is still illegal in the US. In terms of sports, the drug is banned in the Olympics and NFL. The NFL banned it after Korey Stringer, a Minnesota Vikings player, died. The drug was found in his locker after the fact and banned shortly thereafter.
